76

Allison
“Now you’ve lost your mind.” I stalk away from him, trying to process what he just said. “You want to marry me? I don’t even understand why you’d want something like that.”
“You’re in a wedding dress already, which makes things easy.”
“That’s not funny.” I look down at my torn, dirt-stained clothes. “I look like a mannequin in a bombed-out Goodwill.”
“An extremely fuckable mannequin at least.”
“I didn’t know you were into making love to inanimate objects.”
“Don’t kink-shame.”
“Explain how marrying me is even remotely on your radar, crazy?”
“You’re perfect. That’s how.”
“And you’re a total stranger. Also, probably insane.” I turn to face him again now that there’s half a room between us. “Explain to me how the hell marrying you would be better than marrying Paul, please? I might as well shove my hand in a wasp nest and wiggle it around.”
“For one, I didn’t kill your sister, and I have no reason to hurt you.”
“Great, that’s slightly better. That’s like the bare minimum to be in the same room with you, let alone pledge my undying fidelity. I still don’t see why marriage is even on your mind right now. And don’t mention the stupid dress again.”
He pauses, watching me carefully like he’s formulating his thoughts. He speaks very carefully. “Going against Paul will be costly and difficult. There will be violence, bribes, outright war. My family’s power base is across the country, and if I want to make inroads here, I need someone local to help me.”
“You think that person’s me?” I laugh, unable to believe what I’m hearing. “You’re making a huge mistake. Before my sister married Paul, my family had nothing to do with the Bratvas.”
“Maybe that’s true, but your father owns the most profitable marijuana dispensary chain in the region, and I want a piece of that industry. That’s the whole reason I’m out here, scouting for new opportunities, new places to grow my family’s influence. Marijuana is going to be enormous, and I believe my organization needs to be at the ground floor sooner rather than later.”
I can hardly understand what I’m hearing. This guy wants to marry me because he’s interested in the weed business? “Why not just, I don’t know, buy a farm or something? Like a normal person? Hell, watch a few YouTube videos, learn about the freaking industry that way. Seems pretty extreme to, I don’t know, marry a stranger after helping her escape from a marriage to a psychopath.”
Gregory shakes his head like he’s speaking to a schoolchild. It pisses me off beyond reason. “Paul controls the farms. He controls the dispensaries, or at least he would have if he’d gotten his claws into you. Now, his relationship with your father will be rocky and fraught, and meanwhile, you can teach me everything you know about the business. If I’m going to have a real shot at dominating the marijuana trade, I need to find a way to push Paul aside, or at least to rival him. I need a way into the inner circle, and a lever to pry Paul out from his entrenched position. You’re both.”
I turn and pace away, limping slightly on my injured foot. I can see what Gregory’s saying-even if he did try to go the legitimate route, Paul would simply crush him before he had a chance to put in a solid effort. The marijuana farmers on the West Coast all owe him allegiances, and this is the best region for growing with the best connections to the most popular retail locations. Gregory could try opening farms in other legal states, but that’s like starting a race a hundred yards behind everyone else.
And he also happens to be right that I know something about the industry. Before I got into this mess, I worked for my father for years. I got my MBA and even planned on moving up in the ranks, at least until Freya died and I got shoved into her place. I had dreams of one day taking over from my father when he retired, but now those dreams are all shattered.
“I still don’t see why you have to marry me,” I say, arms crossed over my chest. “We could, I don’t know, sit down and talk like normal humans. It’s not like the second we get hitched, you can somehow download my knowledge into your brain.”
He raises his glass in a small salute. “That’s a good point. Lucky for you we can’t link skulls, otherwise I suspect you wouldn’t like the thoughts I’m having right about now.”
“Is that a sexual comment?”
He’s staring at my bare legs. “Yes.”
“Stop it then.”
He swirls his glass, smiling to himself. “Unfortunately, I’m leaving out one small but very important piece of information.”
“Which is?”
“My family doesn’t know I’m doing any of this.”
I let out a sharp laugh. “Are you kidding me?”
“They’re too busy doing the same old nothing in their ivory tower. My older brother isn’t thinking long-term, he’s not thinking expansion. That’s been left to me.”
“Again, still not seeing how this connects to marriage.”
He takes a step closer. I take a step back. A little dance.
“Once you’re my wife, they won’t be able to deny me. Paul will go berserk. He’ll come for you and for me, and my brother will be forced to send support. Even if it pisses Carson off to no end, he’d never let a member of our family get hurt, even a new member. As my wife, you’d be entitled to all the perks of the Callahan organization. Money, soldiers, whatever we need. Marrying you will drag my family into this situation, whether they like it or not.”
I whistle, unable to believe the balls on this guy. It’s actually impressive. “I think calling you insane was understating things a bit. You’re a total maniac. I kind of like it, honestly.”
“There’s only one way to win big, my little Bratva princess, and that’s to take big risks. So what do you say? Marry me, krasotka. We’ll dominate your enemies together.”
I wave him off. “Don’t use Russian pet names, you prick. Sounds terrible coming from you.” I rub my temples, trying to keep my throbbing brain in place. I feel like it’s going to leak from my skull. This guy’s got massive plans and far-reaching ideas, and there’s no way he’s telling me everything. As impressive as I find him, I don’t trust him at all, and I don’t particularly like him. “You realize what you’re asking me to do, right?”
“I understand the magnitude of my request.”
“I’ll be starting a war with my own family on the other side.”
“You mean the people working with the man that murdered your sister.”
I glare at him. “Don’t use Freya against me. Don’t you ever do that.”
He softens slightly and nods his acknowledgment. “That’s fair. But I’m also not wrong.”
I start pacing again. His proposal does make a kind of sense. We need each other, or at least we can work together for a common goal. He wants to take Paul down, and I want to rip out Paul’s balls and cook them for dinner. Then I also want to take him down. Gregory’s my only realistic chance at making that happen.
But marriage is enormous. This isn’t some small deal-we’re not agreeing to work together for a few weeks.
This is a long-term commitment. I can’t imagine his family will accept this if there’s any hint that what we’re doing is going to end the moment Paul’s been deposed.
Which means playing the dutiful wife of an Irish gangster.
I glance over, and he’s watching me, saying nothing. His drink is down to ice and dregs. The man’s beautiful, but I can see the creature hiding behind his gorgeous gray-blue eyes, and I’m afraid if I decide to walk this path with him then I’ll never see my old life again.
I might as well go on the run, disappear, live by my own terms, instead of by this man’s whims.
Except running would mean letting Paul win.
“You do realize marrying you isn’t all that appealing,” I say, trying to break some of the tension I feel building in my chest. “If I do this, I’d only do it to get revenge. Not for you.”
It doesn’t work. Gregory’s smirk only makes the strange, bubbling desire in my guts worse. “I respectfully disagree. I’d make a wonderful husband.”
“How’s that, exactly? You strike me as the kind of man to have unreasonable expectations. I’m not the cook and clean type. I won’t be lying in your bed every night, ready to please you.”
“I swept you off your feet once. Saved you from the big bad wolf. Imagine what else I can do.”
“If Paul’s the big bad wolf, you’re the swamp monster.”
He laughs. “We both know I’m better looking than that.”
“High opinion of yourself. From where I’m standing, you’re not so great.”
“Liar. You keep looking at me like you want to rip off the rest of that dress. And frankly, I’d love to watch you do it, so long as you went nice and slow.”
I shiver, shaking my head. “How are you thinking about sex at a time like this? My life’s falling apart.”
“And yet you’re still absolutely gorgeous. I mean, you’re krasotka.”
I roll my eyes. “Stop with the Russian.”
“You’re in luck, since that’s the only word I know. Learned it from a very talkative ballerina I once met.”
“Spare me the details.” I rub the bridge of my nose. “I can’t just go from marrying one stranger to marrying another. I just can’t. I risked everything to get away from that wedding.”
“True, and yet I’m offering you a chance to take what you really want. Big risks, big rewards.”
I look at him slowly. He’s staring back, his face serious. “Which is what? What, exactly, will you give me?”
“Revenge. Money. Power. Paul Debarcio dead. Proof that he killed your sister. Everything you want and more.”
I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. God, what would Freya have done in this situation? Would she have married another killer if it meant getting what she wanted? If it meant getting revenge for her sister’s murderer? I wouldn’t want her to do it, but I think she would’ve anyway.
Before I can ask him more questions, the room’s phone rings.
I jump in surprise, staring at the black receiver as Gregory walks over and answers.
“Hello?” His expression tightens, his eyes narrowing. “How many? When? Thank you. I’ll make sure you’re compensated.” He hangs up and turns to me.
“What?” I ask, feeling like my skin might melt from the anxiety.
“Paul’s men are coming for us.” He sighs like this is a minor inconvenience. “We need to run. Again.”